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Judiciary Committee Forced To Halt Tort Reform Bill

The Hill

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

The House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday was forced to abruptly postpone a markup on a medical tort reform bill after outbursts by several conservatives.

The committee has yet to reschedule the markup. A spokesperson declined to comment on whether Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte had been aware of conservative opposition to the bill before holding the markup.

"I believe this issue should be left up entirely in the state courts, in the states," Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) said in a rare display of discord on a GOP bill.

"This committee should not, in my opinion, pass legislation that harms state courts and decisions made in state courts because the people in those states don't want limits on liability," he said. His position was then echoed by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), who also argued against federal tort reform.

The medical malpractice bill, which sets a $250,000 cap on compensation for non-economic damages to a patient, has long been opposed by advocates of states' rights.

The committee's top Democrat, Rep. John Conyers (D-N.Y.), called it a "strong disrespect of federalism." And just before the markup, the committee received a letter protesting the bill from 29 groups, including the Center for Justice & Democracy and Consumer Watchdog.

The bill cuts spending by about $40 billion over 10 years, and it was the committee's response to House Speaker Paul Ryan's call to each committee to identify spending cut during this year's budget process.

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